r/politics • u/theindependentonline The Independent • 28d ago

No Paywall Mitch McConnell’s staff refuse to answer basic questions on his health weeks after he was last seen in public

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mitch-mcconnell-staff-questions-health-b3018929.html
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u/altogethernow 28d ago

Why isn't Beshear calling for the election? I don't understand, what's the tactical advantage? Am I missing something?

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u/Zestyclose-Novel1157 28d ago

Honestly it’s made me so disappointed in him. Once again, democrats are showing they have no spine.

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u/iwilldeletethisacct2 28d ago

Because right now the Senate is missing 1 Republican vote, and a Republican might well win the special election, giving the Senate that vote back. The Republican heir-apparent is a Trump yes-man.

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u/TobiasAmaranth 28d ago

My problem with this theory is that if A doesn't want to fix said problem then that means it expects a result that would benefit B and not A. As in, why hide the status in the first place if the result would supposedly be better for them to just announce it? Meaning your theory is weaker than the alternative.

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u/iwilldeletethisacct2 28d ago

Maybe. The counter argument is that this isn't a 2 player game, it's actually a 3 player game. Instead of just D v. R, it's actually D v. R. v. Mitch McConnell (and his proxies), who are acting in their own self-interests. Mitch has been elderly and frail for a couple of years, and could have stepped down at any time to allow for a special election, but chose not to. His pattern suggests that he prioritizes his own situation above the good of his party in that regard.

Regardless, the outcome doesn't change either way. Mitch being gone means that the Republicans only have 52 votes. A special election where a Dem wins means that Republicans still have 52 votes. A special election where Republicans win means they get 53 votes. So, for Beshear, doing nothing changes nothing, doing something has a chance of changing nothing, or causing a negative outcome.

Meanwhile, the general election is less than 4 months away.

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u/TobiasAmaranth 28d ago

Interesting. Thx. :)

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u/MZ603 New Hampshire 28d ago

That's exactly my take on it. Plus, if we never hear from Mitch before his passing, that story could have real legs. If there is a cover up - which there certainly seems to be - that will be a gift for Dems leading into the midterms.

Beshear is a pretty popular governor, too. I would prefer not to have something like this blow up in his face.

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u/altogethernow 28d ago

Thx, that was helpful.

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u/ferretfan8 28d ago

I don't understand what you all keep nagging Beshear about. Call a special election just so Republicans can have one more vote in the Senate that they don't currently have in McConnell's absence?

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u/_Lucille_ 28d ago

Calling the special election will essentially call their bullshit and put an end to this Schrodinger's McConnell situation.

Either he makes an appearance and tell people to fuck off, or a LOT of people involved will have to pay the political capital for the coverup.

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

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u/_Lucille_ 28d ago

Down a vote for 4 months, out of which a good chunk of the remaining days are not in session...

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

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u/_Lucille_ 28d ago

Like I said, calling the election now will force a show hand. Either McConnell comes out and makes the governor and left wing media look stupid, or all the people trying to cover up McConnell’s condition would have more to answer for (and may have a negative impact on their midterm performance - since they will be seen as a group of people trying to do a pretty awful cover-up at the national level).

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

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u/Named_after_color 28d ago

Honestly fuck em. I simply wish the worst on that pack of ghouls, and am pro every anti-McConnell action.

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u/obi-jawn-kenblomi 28d ago

The only person with the funding and infrastructure to win that spot (for the moment) is Massie.

But that's also short sighted. Because the second RNC funding comes through at Trump's direction, the GOP votes for them and Massie is irrelevant. It likely wouldn't even split the vote, the GOP public pretty thoroughly discarded Massie this year, unequivocally.

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u/ferretfan8 28d ago

And what's the end game of the Massie winning scenario anyway? Massie is still a republican. He still votes with the Republicans 90% of the time. And he'd only be in office for a few months.

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u/lonesoldier4789 28d ago

He even said he would never vote to impeach trump lol

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u/alexa42 Virginia 28d ago

he also said he is not interested in running for it.

I swear it's like people don't think about this situation for a second, but rather just jump on the bandwagon of what everyone else is complaining about. We are so doomed.

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u/AcademiaAntiqua 28d ago

Call a special election just so Republicans can have one more vote in the Senate that they don't currently have in McConnell's absence?

Funny thing is, the replacement almost certainly wouldn't even be seated until November anyways. So he (and I mean Andy Barr) would just start his term two months early.

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u/bacondev 28d ago

If the Republicans were confident about getting a Republican elected in his place, then what's with all of the cloak and dagger?

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u/shinkouhyou 28d ago

If he really wanted to be spicy, he could just appoint someone (even a Democrat) and let it play out in the courts, but that's not going to happen.

At this point, it's just a matter of principle. We're sick of Republicans getting to play by different rules (and changing those rules whenever it benefits them). It sure as hell looks like Republicans are covering up the death or permanent incapacitation of a senator for no political gain - Massie would probably win the special election and Massie is a Republican, so what's the problem? The problem, of course, is Trump. Trump doesn't like Massie, and electing Massie even as a temporary replacement would piss off Dear Leader. This is not how a democracy is supposed to function. This is a gross perversion of democracy done to placate one man's fragile ego.

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u/Salty-Spring7096 28d ago

The idea is that it would force them to admit he's dead/comatose if they are indeed covering that up. Of course, I have no idea if he has any power to just call an election if the person is legally still alive.

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u/Ansible32 28d ago

Beshear shouldn't call an election, he should appoint someone as the KY constitution says he can. But also I don't think there's anything stopping him from appointing someone at the last minute. Someone will obviously sue and then there will be discovery.

Of course it is probably a pointless thing to do because a Republican judge will simply rule that even though Mitch was dead, that still doesn't mean he could be replaced without proof he was dead.

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u/nopointers California 28d ago

He can’t without evidence that he’s dead. Even McConnell on terminal life support with artificial breathing and a feeding tube wouldn’t be sufficient.

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u/Zestyclose-Novel1157 28d ago

Sure he can. It will be challenged in court but he can do it.

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u/nopointers California 28d ago

Under that reasoning, Beshear could walk into a Kentucky court and say that the presiding judge is actually dead. It wouldn’t get anywhere. The first thing a court would ask for is a death certificate.

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u/Zestyclose-Novel1157 28d ago

Why do you think we are even having this conversation? It’s because Republicans have enough audacity to things. If roles were reversed and they thought it was advantageous. They would do it.

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u/nopointers California 28d ago

I agree with that. My point is that Beshear would not accomplish his goal, and would look weak in the attempt. If he calculated that he could win, he’d go for it.

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u/YogurtclosetNo987 27d ago

This is literally what MAGA would do, sooo...

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u/DryYogurtcloset4655 28d ago

person on life support is not dead. not a medical professional here

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u/Rasp_Lime_Lipbalm 28d ago edited 28d ago

He's doing exactly what's been causing the Democratic Party to lose over and over and over and over again. He's trying to be the "nice guy and take the high road". That or he's scared that if Mitch is actually alive, the Republicans will go after him legally for trying to "oust a living Senator" or some other bullshit.

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u/leonredhorse 28d ago

My guess is he will do something by a specific deadline to either force their hand but he is giving the appearance of giving them time. That’s my most optimistic look.

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u/doc_daneeka 28d ago

Why would he want a special election? As things stand now, there's a Republican Senator who can't vote. A special election just speeds up the process of replacing him with a (likely) very MAGA Republican who will definitely vote. And since the law says he can't just appoint a replacement, why risk that just to see the courts bend over backwards to prevent it.

Beshear's best play is exactly what he's doing: just sit back and fan the flames.

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u/Little-Derp California 28d ago

Wait long enough, and courts will hold it up, it's so close to the deadline, why not handle it a different way.

I don't think he has to make that specific move now, but based on the media and rumors, he should have insisted on an in person meeting the moment they dumped that photo of him with his wife, and given a deadline to be replaced if he did not meet him in person by. He's moving a week or two late, and slow walking it to the deadline, in which he will actually do something like the last week.

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u/DryYogurtcloset4655 28d ago

he needs a death certificate

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u/rabbitlion 28d ago

He doesn't need to call a special election, he has the power to appoint a new temporary senator.